Mrs Fayemi said such declaration would bring about the political will to fight the scourge, adding that states that had passed the law on Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act would be able to implement the law to the fullest.

The wife of the governor who stated this in her keynote address at the 20th anniversary of Project Alert on Violence Against Women in Lagos, on Friday, said the passage of the VAPP law would lend support to the array of women organisations that work in very remote hard- to-reach areas.

“It has taken a long time but we have some laws in place. We have the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, and out of the 36 States of Nigeria, only 11 states have domesticated this law. Even for those who have domesticated the law, there is an issue of resources. We are talking about financial resources, human resources, materials resources, as well as technical resources.

“We do need resources to push these issues through but we need the political will to drive the allocation of those resources. I will like to lend my voice to the voice of all the feminist organizations, human rights and civil society organizations in the country, calling for more attention to what has now become a national pandemic of gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence.

“In my own opinion, I believe we need the State of Emergency in Nigeria on sexual violence in particular. I think we need to call for more political will and that will hopefully drive things such as ensuring that those states who have passed the VAPP Act can implement it to the fullest, at least try their best.

“I will like to call for political will, I will like to call for resources and I will like to also call for a lot more partnerships and information sharing.”

The Ekiti First Lady charged the participating organisations to focus their efforts more on community engagement.

“I am based in Ekiti, which is a predominantly rural state, and so it’s not a state where everyone can have access to information via what’s happening on TV, Radio and so on.

“And so, there are certain gatekeepers that we need to engage, who still hold deeply conservative views. A lot of religious leaders, traditional rulers, we have female chiefs, we have a whole array of people. We need to do a lot more work there. If communities don’t own response to gender-based violence, God forbid that sexual violence then becomes normalized.”

A major highlight of the event was the inter-generational dialogue on gender–based violence.

The Ekiti State First Lady was also honoured with the  Excellence Award in Women’s Rights Activism by Project Alert.

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The governor’s wife made the call on Thursday during a walk to commemorate the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence in Ado-Ekiti.

Speaking while fielding questions from journalists after the walk, Erelu Fayemi lamented that in spite of the existing laws prohibiting gender-based violence, Ekiti State continued to witness issues of rape, defilement and human trafficking.

She vowed that government would put all efforts to prevent the state from being tagged a fertile ground for violence against women and girl- child.

Mrs Fayemi urged the people to speak up against those indulging in such criminal act.

The rally was put together by the Gender-Based Management Committee in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Federation of Female Lawyers, FIDA, civil society organisations such as Balm in Gilead Foundation (BIGIF), and other stakeholders in the fight against GBV.

Participants at the rally displayed placards with various inscriptions such, “say no to women abuse”, “Ekiti stands against rape” and “say no to domestic violence” among others, to express their disapproval of rape and other gender-based violence.

Stakeholders at the rally also condemned rape and violence against women and girls in its totality.

They warned that no offender should go unpunished, saying that rape, domestic violence and child abuse were crimes and must be treated as such.

The rally which commenced as early as half past eight in the morning, started from Fajuyi park and terminated at Okeyinmi area of the state capital.

Some of the participants included Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries of some of the MDAs, and Political Appointees both at the Federal and State level.

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This call was directed at women by the First Lady of Ekiti State, Bisi Fayemi.

She made the call on Thursday during the commencement of Ekiti Breast and Cervical Cancer Screaming Awareness Week at the School of Nursing in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

She said early detection of the cancer cells within the body would help in effective treatment of the disease.

According to her, the state government set up the wellness centre and equipped it in order to cater for the health care needs of the people and to arrest cancer in the state.

She therefore urged women in the state to take advantage of the centre.

“We are all aware of the importance of early detection and going to the hospital for treatment. We must adhere to the doctor’s prescription and not run away from immediate treatment to come back later when it is too late.

“The Adunni Olayinka Wellness Centre was established to help in early detection and treatment of cancer. I urge us to take full advantage of the centre.

“We should not wait until the disease has ravaged the body before seeking for medical attention. Cancer is not a death sentence if it is detected and treated early. So, let us take care of our body and seek medical examination regularly,” she added.

Erelu Fayemi also urged young women to stay off bleaching cream, under the guise of skin toning, which according to her, were injurious to the body because of some cancer-causing chemicals used in producing them.

Instead, she advised women to maintain good skin with olden days method of shea butter, coconut oil and black soap.

She urged women to desist from ‘mixing’ body creams in the name of fashion.

“I want to talk about the use of bleaching cream, the ones our youths use to tone their skin so that it will glitter. If we want a shining skin let us use what our mothers used in the olden days – they used Shea butter, coconut oil and black soap.”

While stressing the importance of family planning, she said couples should endeavour to discuss with a doctor about the appropriate family planning method to use.

She also emphasized the need to be faithful to one’s partner in order to avoid cervical cancer.

Earlier, in a lecture titled: “The burden of Breast Cancer,” the Director of Ekiti Cancer Registry, Dr Omonise Abidemi, noted that cancer was not a new disease and that it could be prevented.

Dr Omonise raised concerns that people “in this clime go to the hospital when it is late.”

He said that cancer was associated with “abnormal growth, it is excessive, it is uncoordinated, autonomous, and purposeless, ” adding, however, that early detection was essential to curbing the scourge.

Omonise noted that one of the major causes of cervical cancer was having multiple sexual partners.

He advised that that the symptoms should be recognized early and act upon, healthy diet, frequent exercise and avoidance of excessive alcohol intake would help to prevent cancer growth in the body.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, said early detection and self-examination were paramount in the bid to eliminate cancer.

At the event were House of Assembly members – Teju Okuyiga; Kemi Balogun and Yemisi Ayokunle.

Also at the occasion were wife of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mrs Titi Afuye; Head of Account Dept, EKSUTH, Mrs Bukki Wale Ajayi; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Mojisola Fafunre; wives of members of the House of Assembly as well as wives of local government chairmen.

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Mrs. Fayemi who noted that the organisation had been trying its best on gender issues, however pointed out that the situation of women in terms of empowerment and enjoying other rights as men in the country was still discouraging.

She therefore urged the Inner Wheel and other stakeholders to do more on gender issues.

She made these remarks on Friday while being presented an award in recognition of her role in advancing the rights of women and girls all over the world , by the Inner Wheel Nigeria led by the National Secretary Mrs. Olawumi Oladimeji, in her office in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

She said: “Great Inner Wheel members, we need to level up, we need to move to the next level. You have been doing the same thing for the past thirty something years. You have increased the levels at which you are working, the intensity and your reach. That you have done, but the issues still remain the same.

“Poverty, discrimination, exclusion, lack of voice for women, and a lot of the interventions you are making are addressing the symptoms of those issues, not the root causes. That is why 30 years from now all women’s organisations we are still going to be working on the same issues.

“The charge I am giving Inner Wheel Nigeria as an organisation is that you should now focus on the structures and processes that make it possible for women to continue to experience discrimination; for us to continue to be working on the same issues 30 years after the fact,” said Erelu Bisi Fayemi.

Speaking further, Erelu Fayemi  said the club should also help in pressurising the government to enact laws to protect women from violence.

She explained that apart from Ekiti State there was no other state in the South-West that had domesticated the National Gender Policy.

She said: “Nigeria has had a National Gender Policy since 2005, it was revised in 2015, and the idea is that all the states in the Federation are supposed to domesticate the National Gender Policy. The Gender National Policy is what provides the governments, Federal and States the direction in how to invest in economic empowerment for women, in agriculture, in micro enterprise development, addressing issues around personal safety, violence, and women’s political participation, to mention a few.”

“What I will like you to do is to ensure that all the States in the South West domesticate the National Gender Policy. There are many women’s rights organisations and consultants who can work with you in your different states to make sure that it is done,” she added.

“We need to press our government and insist that they provide an enabling environment for women to grow and develop. And that enabling environment includes providing laws, ensuring there are policies in place, ensuring that there are institutions or structures in place,” she said.

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With Fayemi in the first image at the occasion are (L-R): Queen Diambi Kabatusula of the Democratic Republic of Congo; First Lady of Ekiti State and Global Ambassador, Africa Fashion Week London, Erelu Bisi Fayemi;  First Lady of Kwara State and Matron, Africa Fashion Week London, Mrs Folake Abdulrazak;  and Founder, Africa Fashion Week London, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi.

In the second image (L-R) are popular Nigerian DJ, DJ Cuppy; First Lady of Kwara State and Matron,  Africa Fashion Week London, Mrs Folake Abdulrazak; with First Lady of Ekiti State and Global Ambassador, Africa Fashion Week London, Erelu Bisi Fayemi.

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Erelu Fayemi who gave the charge during her visit to the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Ise-Ekiti where the Batch `B’ stream 1 are currently undergoing the orientation process, also enjoined them to be good ambassadors of their respective institutions and states of origin in the communities where they will eventually be posted for their primary assignments.

The governor’s wife, who on her arrival at the camp, inspected the quarter guard with the camp commandant, Captain Must Kudi, urged the corps members to uphold the tenets of NYSC.

“Please I will like you to remember the values of the National Youth Service Corps – To promote peace, to promote unity, to promote solidarity. Please don’t be found amongst those inciting violence, amongst those inciting ethnic bigotry, for in the National Youth Service Corps, there is not supposed to be any Yoruba, Igbo, Efik; you are all Nigerian youth corps members. So, as you go around your various assignments, please remember that we expect you to uphold the values of the NYSC scheme,” she said.

She also urged them to look after themselves. “You are far away from home, please look after yourselves. Don’t go on journeys that are absolutely unnecessary. Things have changed in our country; when I was your age Nigeria was not as dangerous as it is now. Please stay in your place of posting, if you need to go away for any reason do let the authorities know,” she enjoined them.

Erelu Fayemi who decried the rate of teenage pregnancy in the country, with Ekiti State rating high, appealed to the corps members to please use their wealth of experience to educate and mentor school children, especially girls on the dangers inherent in teenage pregnancy.

She also cautioned the corps members against indulging in any form of sexual activities with minors in their host communities saying anyone caught would be sanctioned through existing laws.

“In Ekiti State we have the Gender Based Violence Prohibition Law, the Gender and Equals Opportunities Law, the anti-female genital mutilation law, the widowhood practices law, and we also domesticated the Child Rights Act. What these all means is that Ekiti State is a state that has zero tolerance for all forms of violence against women and children,” she said.

The First Lady thanked the corps members, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mrs Emmanuella Okpongette, and her staff, the camp cultural troupe and the band, for their warm reception.

Okpongette, in her opening remark, thanked the First Lady for honouring their invitation at a short notice, adding that the corps members are disciplined and ready to be change agents in their host communities.

The NYSC state coordinator said efforts must be put in place to create awareness on reproductive health care to reduce HIV/AIDS in the state and the rise in teenage pregnancy in the state.

The corps members presented the guest with a cake to commemorate her birthday which was marked recently.

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This was just as the State’s Attorney -General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Fapohunda, decried the alarming rate of trafficking in persons and kids in the state, calling for stringent measures to combat the menace.

Both the First Lady and Fapohunda made the remarks during the 2019 FIDA annual Law Week, themed:  “Human Trafficking: A menace to socio-economic development of the society” which held at the state High Court in Ado Ekiti.

Fapounda, in his address, said: “Despite the plethora of rights provided in the 1999 Constitution as amended and those guaranteed by the very many regional and international human rights treaties, modern day slavery still persists in our country.”

Erelu Fayemi while addressing the gathering revealed that reports by international agencies had scored Nigeria very low in terms of policies and practices geared towards empowering and protecting the women and providing a conducive environment for women and girls.

She said, “Governance is not about individuals it is about people and how their lives can be made better. Spaces such as FIDA are important for capacity building and learning as to assist one another in the profession.”

She emphasized the importance of advocacy and influencing of policies, and pointed out that Nigeria was considered one of the most dangerous places in the world where women could be when considering women empowerment and gender equality.

“One in three of Nigerian women are victims of gender violence and we have less than five per cent of Nigeria women in the legislature,” he added.

She said, however, that Ekiti State could boast of  a very robust legal framework for women empowerment, with “laws that prohibits harmful widowhood practices , frown against female genital mutilation, gender based violence prohibition law, and the equal opportunity law.”

Erelu Fayemi therefore proposed a synergy between all agencies combating trafficking.

“Synergy of multi sexual and inter agency services. Bodies working in this respect must form a synergy and not duplicate effort and resources.

“We should also engage the community, they should owe this issue of trafficking and be sensitized to report these local traffickers,” she said.

The First Lady enjoined the stakeholders present on the importance for continuous close working relationship with the traditional rulers.

“We need them as partners in progress on this journey just as we need opinion leaders and respected people in the society,” she explained.

Erelu Fayemi praised FIDA Ekiti for the work done so far on cases such as defilement of kids, battery of women, trafficking of women and girls amongst other GBV cases.

“You are guaranteed strong political will to ensure that trafficking and gender based violence of all forms are mitigated in Ekiti. Whenever you need government to support you within the available resources we will support you. We will see how we can get FIDA, Ekiti, a subvention from government,” she assured.

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Present at the occasion were the Chief Medical Director, EKSUTH, Prof. Kayode Olabanji and Chairman, Board of EKSUTH, Dr Dare Teniola.

Erelu Fayemi also cut her birthday cake with some patients at the children ward of the hospital.

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Instead he urged the governor to further commit himself to the work and continually seek the face of God to determine the next step in actualising the divine purpose for which God gave him a second term in office.

Delivering a sermon at the thanksgiving service marking the 56th birthday of the Governor’s wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, the Bishop noted that Fayemi had started repositioning the state within the few months of being inaugurated as governor.

Omotunde said Fayemi’s return to office after a four-year interregnum was for some divine assignments which he must actualise.

The clergyman said that the governor should be prepared for challenges in the course of serving the people.

He however urged him to continually seek God’s face and divine direction in order to surmount the challenges.

Bishop Omotunde said: “Don’t depend on people’s praise singing because they don’t know why God brought you back. Rather, you should sit back and ask God what is next.

“This is not the limit that God has for you. There will be challenges but they are mere shadows. God will turn every problem challenging you to shadows.”

Speaking at the thanksgiving service which took place at the Government House Chapel, the governor’s wife, Erelu Fayemi, thanked God for giving her the opportunity to witness another year.

The First Lady pledged her commitment to more philanthropic works, saying that the essence of life was to better the lot of the masses.

The first lesson of the thanksgiving service was taken from Psalm 23 and was read by Governor Fayemi while his wife read the second lesson from Philippians 3 vs 1-18.

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